I would like to thank our Jobcentre teams in Truro and Penryn and their associated charities for the time and commitment they give to people, who are looking for work. I know that, in some cases, it can take months of careful one-to-one coaching to get someone to the point of an interview. When that person succeeds, it’s all worth it.

Recently the government announced reforms to the benefit system, which will see support targeted to those who need it most, while ensuring people who abuse the system do not get away with it.

Last week, the first step to these reforms took place as The Modernising Support Green Paper was published, which explores how our welfare system could be redesigned to ensure people with disabilities and long-term health conditions get the support they need to achieve the best outcomes, with an approach that focuses support on those with the greatest needs and extra costs.

The caseload and costs for the benefit are now spiralling. There are now 2.6-million people of working age claiming PIP and DLA – with 33,000 new awards for PIP each month. This is expected to cost the taxpayer £28-billion a year by 2028/29 – a 110 per cent increase in spending since 2019.

You can access the Green Paper by searching for ‘Modernising support for independent living: the health and disability green paper’. I would be interested in hearing the views of the people of Truro and Falmouth on these proposals as they proceed.

The Green Paper is the latest of the government’s welfare reforms to ensure disabled people and people with long-term health conditions can live full and independent lives. It builds on last year’s Health and Disability White Paper and the £2.5-billion Back to Work Plan which will break down barriers to work for over one million people.

The government is also delivering the largest expansion in mental health services in a generation, with almost £5-billion of extra funding over the past five years.

Finally I couldn’t pass this past week without congratulating the re-elected Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall Alison Hernandez for her superb election result last Thursday. Alison and I have worked together on numerous issues around Truro and Falmouth, including the reopening of police station front desks and in particular accessing more funding to combat violence against women and girls in Penryn and Falmouth, and I was delighted to see this result. I look forward to working with Alison for the good of our communities in the future.

As always, I am fully focused on the job at hand and if there is ever anything at all I can do to help, then please do not hesitate to contact me. Please get in touch with me by email at [email protected], or by telephone on 01872 229698. My regular constituency advice surgeries are held at my office, so please do get in touch should you wish to meet me about any matters that I can be of assistance with.